Another Montgomery
by nashvillestar
Summary: What happens when Van's sister has been kicked out of boarding school and her parents kick her out too... will Reba come to the Montgomery's rescue once again?
1. Chapter 1

Reba opened the door one sunny afternoon to see a young girl standing on her front step.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Is Van here?" the girl asked, her green eyes filling with tears.

"Sure," Reba replied. "Come on in, have a seat. I'll go get Van." She headed for the kitchen. As she reached the door, Reba turned back and asked, "who should I say it is?"

"Alexis," she replied, her voice shaking.

"Be right back," Reba smiled.

Van and Cheyanne were sitting at the table when Reba came into the kitchen.

"Van," Reba said, "there's an Alexis here to see you. She's in the living room."

"Alexis?" Van asked, "I don't know any Alexis."

"Van!" Cheyanne exclaimed, "your sister!"

"What's she doing here?" Van wondered.

"Don't ask me," Reba replied, "I didn't even know you had a sister."

"Well, I'd better get out there I guess," Van said, walking to the living room.

Reba turned to Cheyanne.

"Van has a sister? How did I never hear about her?" she asked, wondering how she had missed this detail.

"She's been in boarding school in Switzerland since she was 4 years old so Van doesn't really know her," Cheyanne explained. "Which makes it weird that she's here."

Just then Van burst back into the kitchen.

"You gotta help me Mrs. H," Van sputtered, "my sister failed calculus and got kicked outta boarding school. When she got home my parents said that she wasn't welcome there being that she got kicked out of school."

"Don't worry Van," Reba sighed, "I'll go talk to her."

Reba turned and left the kitchen.

Reba entered the living room and sat on the couch beside Alexis.

"Hi Alexis, I'm Reba Hart," she introduced herself. "Van's mother in law. Why don't you tell me what's going on."

"I failed math," Alexis burst into tears. "So I got kicked outta school but my parents kicked me out too because of all this! I've got nowhere to go here, I don't know anybody except Van."

"I'm not going to let you sleep on the street," Reba reassured her, putting her hand onto Alexis' back. "You can stay here for tonight and I'll talk to your parents tomorrow."

Alexis, surprised and not used to the loving affection that Reba gave her, looked up at Reba with big green eyes, "really?" she said, "you'd let me stay here for the night?"

Reba smiled, "there's no way I'm going to let you sleep on the street, its not right," she said. "You look tired, did you want to go upstairs and take a nap for a bit?" she added.

Alexis sniffed then wiped her eyes, "yes, thank you," she replied.

"Just follow me," Reba said, "my youngest daughter's bed is still in Elizabeth's room. You can sleep in there.

"Thank you," Alexis said, following Reba up the stairs.

After making sure that Alexis was alright, Reba returned downstairs to the kitchen.

"Where's Alexis?" Van asked.

"She's upstairs," Reba answered, "taking a nap in Kyra's old bed. I told her she could spend the night here. I'll talk to your parents tomorrow."

"You'll really do that for her? You're the greatest Mrs. H," Van said.

"I'm not just going to turn your sister out on the street," Reba told him. "How old is she anyway?"

"She's uh, 15," Van replied.

"That's terrible," Reba sighed, "I really don't understand your parents Van."

"You think that I'm messed up, well, I'm not half as screwed up as her," Van stated.

"What do you mean?" Cheyanne piped up.

"She's never been part of a family," he explained, "I can only remember a couple of Christmases that she was home."

"What do you mean Van," Cheyanne asked, still confused.

"I think I know what he's getting at," Reba said. "She doesn't know what its like to be loved, or to receive affection. When I offered to let her stay here tonight I put my arm on her shoulder, she just looked so surprised. She's not used to the warmth of a family."

"That's so sad," Cheyanne said, "I can't even imgaine that."

"I've got to run out to the grocery store," Reba said, "Make sure that you two stay here in case Alexis wakes up and needs something ok?"

"No problem mom," Cheyanne replied.

"Thanks again Mrs. H.," Van called after her.

A few hours later Alexis woke up and came downstairs to where the Hart family was watching tv.

"We're just going to order some pizza for supper," Reba said as Alexis sat down beside her on the couch.

"I hope that's alright," Van added.

Smiling, Alexis replied, "it's perfect."

"Did you like Switzerland?" Cheyanne asked, taking an interest in Alexis.

"It was beautiful," she replied.

"I've always wanted to travel," Cheyanne said.

"Yeah," Alexis sighed, "so, uh, what kind of pizza did you get?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Pepperoni," Van answered.

"I'm about ready to go pick it up," Reba announced, "if you'd like to come with me," she directed to Alexis, sensing that she didn't want to talk about Switzerland.

"Sure," Alexis replied, eager to avoid the conversation.

Alexis sat in the passenger seat of Reba's car, heading to the pizza parlour.

"I could see that you didn't want to talk about it," Reba said, taking her eyes off the road for a second.

"It… its just… complicated," Alexis began. She really felt that she could open up to Reba. "As much as I wished that I had a family close, I dreaded the Christmases when I did go home. It was like spending Christmas with strangers, at least the people at school knew me."

"That must have been awful for you," Reba sighed. "I always had trouble connecting with my parents and it really hurt me that I wasn't closer with them."

"That must be why you are so loving to your children," Alexis commented.

"Thank you," Reba replied, her eyes sparkling. "I try to give my kids the unconditional love that I wanted so much."

Alexis turned and looked out the window.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out," Reba reassured her, placing her hand on Alexis' knee.

The next morning Reba was up bright and early to get the kids off to school. After everybody had left, including Van for Denver,Reba decided it was time to pay a visit to the Montgomerys.

"Do you want to come with me?" Reba asked Alexis.

Alexis sighed, "I don't know."

"I know how you must be feeling," Reba agreed, "but maybe seeing you again will help to change their minds."

"Maybe you're right," Alexis conceded. "I'll come."

About a half hour later, Reba and Alexis pulled up to the Montgomery estate. Alexis took a deep breath, trying to stifle her nervousness. Reba turned to her and put her hand on Alexis' knee.

"It's going to be ok," Reba reassured her.

They got out of the car and approached the front door. Reba rang the doorbell.

Mr. Montgomery answered the door.

"Oh, look, it's Reba Hart… and look who she has with her," he said.

"We need to talk," Reba forced her way in to the living room.

"Fine," he replied, "sit down. Kitty, come here please," he called out.

Mrs. Montgomery entered the room. Seeing Reba with Alexis surprised her.

She sat on the couch beside her husband while Alexis sat beside Reba.

"I think you are being completely unreasonable kicking your 15 year old daughter out for failing math," Reba was right to the point.

"And I think that you are being completely unreasonable to be barging into our house to tell us what to do," Kitty replied.

"She's fifteen years old!" Reba exclaimed, "what is she supposed to do? Live on the street?"

Reba could see Alexis' lip quivering. She reached over and placed her hand on Alexis' knee.

"We don't care where she goes," Alexis' father said calmly, "as long as it's not here."

"I'm surprised that she isn't shacked up with you permanently," Kitty added.

"How can you even call yourself parents? Shipping your daughter out of the country, not even bringing her home for the holidays. She makes one little mistake, something that's not even her fault and you throw her out into the street!" Reba was getting angry.

"I guess you would know about daughters making mistakes," Kitty taunted, "wouldn't you?"

Reba just glared at the Montgomery's. Maybe Cheyanne and Van had made a mistake but their mistake produced the beautiful little girl that was her first granddaughter and she loved that little girl to bits.

"Come on," she said to Alexis getting up from the couch, "there's no getting through to these people."

Reba grabbed Alexis' hand and pulled her up off the couch. Alexis followed Reba out of the house without so much as a good bye to her parents…with Reba still holding tightly to her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Once they were in the car and on their way back to the Hart residence Alexis got up her courage and turned to Reba.

"So I guess you're gonna drop me off at social services," she sighed.

"What?" Reba exlaimed.

"Well," Alexis explained herself, "you don't seem like the type to just drop me off in the street."

"You'll have to stay with us until we figure this all out," Reba replied. "I'm not going to let you end up on the streets."

It fell silent in the car for the rest of the ride home. When they pulled into the driveway, Alexis turned to Reba.

"I think I'm going to go upstairs for a bit," Alexis said.

"Ok," Reba replied, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

They walked inside and to their surprise Van was sitting on the couch. Alexis continued upstairs.

"Van," Reba said, "what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Denver?"

"Game got cancelled this week so I'm still here," he explained. "How did things go with my parents?"

"Not well," Reba replied, "as you can see," she added, motioning to the stairs.

"Man," Van sighed, "my parents can be such idiots sometimes."

"Van," Reba said, "I need you to write me a list of the relatives that you know and their phone numbers, I don't want her to end up in social services or on the street."

"Sure thing Mrs. H," he replied, "thanks so much for doing this but my dad is an only child and my mom just has one sister and my grandparents... well you've met my parents."

A few minutes later Van had found his grandparent's and his aunt's phone numbers.

"Here Mrs. H," he said walking into the kitchen and handing her the list with the phone numbers.

"Thanks Van," Reba replied, taking the list and picking up the phone.

Van decided to go upstairs and talk to Alexis. After all she was his sister. He knocked on the bedroom door.

"Go away," Alexis shouted through the door.

"Its me, Van," he replied. "Let me come in."

"Fine," Alexis replied.

Van came in and sat down on the bed beside his sister.

"I kinda know what you're going through," he said quietly.

"I thought they would be happy that I would be around more," Alexis told her big brother, tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't cry now," Van tried to comfort her.

"I used to make up stories when I was at school," Alexis vented, "I would tell myself that they just couldn't keep me at home. I remember that I would come up with so many different reasons as to why they couldn't possibly keep me at home but deep down inside I always knew that they just didn't want me."

Van just listened to his little sister, his heart breaking. He felt so bad that his parents had kept him at home and worshipped the ground that he walked on until he got Cheyanne pregnant. They had adored him while his sister was in an emotionless school, barely knowing that her family existed.

By this time Alexis' tears flowed freely. Van was uncomfortable but he did what he knew he needed to do for his sister. He pulled her into a hug.

After a few minutes Van returned downstairs to the kitchen to find Reba sitting at the table, phone in hand.

She looked at Van and said, "you were right, I had no luck."

"What's going to happen?" Van blurted out, he was worried.

"She's family," Reba told him, "she'll stay here."  
"Are you serious?" Van exclaimed.

"Of course," Reba replied, "you're the only family that she's got."

"You're the greatest Mrs. H," Van smiled.

"I'm just doing the right thing," she said. "I'm going to go upstairs and let Alexis know."

On her way up the stairs Reba thought about how her kids had two parents that loved them so much and how Alexis was left with none. She remembered asking God why he let Kyra choose to move in with her father. Now she realized that it was to make room for Alexis in her home. This girl needed one "parent" who loved her. Reba walked into Kyra's old room. Alexis was sitting on the window seat, staring outside. Reba sat down beside her. Alexis turned and looked at Reba with big green eyes. She held Reba's gaze for a second before burying her face in her knees and bursting into tears.

"It's ok sweetie," Reba comforted her, rubbing her back. "You're going to live here with us."

Alexis lifted up her head and look at Reba with teary eyes.

"Really?" she mumbled.

"Of course," Reba replied. "You're family. Besides, I see how much love my children have and I know that all children need that, all children deserve that."

With that comment Alexis flung herself at Reba, hugging her tightly.


	3. Chapter 3

Alexis had been living with the Hart's for a week and she loved being a part of a family. She was to start school that morning at Kyra's school, the same school that Cheyanne and Van attended a few years earlier. Reba was a little nervous of her starting school there because Kyra was frequently ridiculed for being Cheyanne's sister. She hoped the same thing wouldn't happen to Alexis.

"You look great Ally," Cheyanne told her when Alexis came downstairs for breakfast.

"I'm kinda nervous," she confessed.

"Don't worry," Van replied, "it'll be fine."

"I hope so," Alexis said.

"Kyra is coming over here to catch the bus with you this morning," Reba said, looking up from her newspaper. "She thought you'd rather avoid Barbara Jean on your first day of school."

Alexis just smiled.

Just then Kyra walked into the kitchen.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Yup," Alexis smiled.

She turned to everyone at the table.

"Bye," Alexis said.

"Bye girls," everyone choursed.

On the bus Kyra turned to Alexis.

"I'll warn you," Kyra began, "people weren't nice when they found out that I was Cheyanne's sister, they weren't nice. So just watch out ok?"

"Thanks," Alexis replied as they pulled up to the school.

"We don't have any classes together so maybe I'll see you later," Kyra said, walking towards the school.

"Yeah," Alexis sighed, "but for sure after school. Your mom is picking us up," she reminded her.

"Oh yeah," Kyra said, "I totally forgot. See you later."

Kyra headed off to her class while Alexis headed for hers.

Alexis found her homeroom and took a seat in the middle of the rows of desks. Within a few minutes the bell rang and the teacher began taking attendance.

"And we have a new student joining us today, Alexis Montgomery," She announced.

Alexis smiled at the sea of faces that stared at her. Class began.

"Great," Alexis thought, "math, my first class at a new school and it's the one that got me into this mess."

After a half hour of teaching, Mrs. Kennedy, the teacher was called to the office.

"I'll be right back," she said, heading out the door.

The 3 girls who were sitting closest to Alexis turned to her.

"So are you Van's little sister?" a pretty blonde girl asked.

"Yeah," Alexis shrugged, remembering what Kyra had warned her about.

The girl sitting next to her turned to her, "maybe you could sit with us at lunch," she offered.

"Yeah," the third one agreed, "it'll be fun."

Just then Mrs Kennedy returned to the classroom and the lesson continued.

At lunch, Alexis was looking to sit with Kyra. She wasn't sure that the invitation of the girls in her math class was genuine. As she scanned the cafeteria for Kyra, she saw the girls from her math class waving her over. Alexis decided to go over and sit with them.

"Hey Alexis," the blonde girl said, "take a seat. I'm Becky," she introduced herself. "That's Samantha and Brooke,' she motioned to the two other girls who were in her math class. "We're on the drill team. Did you ever think of trying out?"

"Umm," Alexis began, "I don't know."

"You've got to," Brooke insisted, "it's sooo much fun."

"Well…I did take gymnastics in Switzerland, so ok, I'll try out," Alexis agreed.

"Great," Becky said.

Just then the bell rang, signalling 10 minutes untill next class.

"I guess I'll see you after school," Alexis said, standing up from the table.

"Bye," the girls chorused.

After school Alexis went to meet Kyra at her locker as planned, although she wasn't going to go home with her, she was staying for drill team tryouts.

"Hey Alexis,' Kyra said, walking up to her locker.

"Hey Kyra," she replied. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Kyra agreed, pulling her back pack out of her locker.

"Tell your mom that I'll be home late," she said. "Some girls asked me to try out for the drill team."

"Fine!" Kyra slammed the locker and walked quickly away, leaving Alexis staring wide eyed after her.

Kyra got into her mother's car and slammed the door.

"Where's Ally?" Reba asked.

"She's trying out for drill team," Kyra snapped, "some girls asked her."

Reba knew that Kyra was upset that people wouldn't accept her because of her sister, but Alexis was instantly popular.

"Do you want to talk about it honey?" Reba asked.

"No," Kyra replied.

The rest of the ride home was silent.

That afternoon at practice, Alexis was surprised to look into the bleachers and see Cheyanne.

"What are you doing here?" Alexis asked, walking over to her.

"Mom told me that you were trying out," Cheyanne explained. "So I wanted to come watch."

"Well, I'd better get back over there," Alexis said, motioning to the other hopefuls,

"Good luck," Cheyanne called after her.

When Alexis and Cheyanne arrived home, Reba jumped up from her spot on the couch beside Kyra.

"So?" she asked.

"I made it!" Alexis busted out.

"Congratulation!" Reba exclaimed, throwing her arms around Alexis in a big hug.

"I'm outta here," Kyra mumbled, heading out the front door.

Alexis pulled herself out of Reba's arms. She turned after Kyra.

"No sweetie," Reba said, grabbing Alexis' hand. "Don't go after her. There's no point trying to talk to her when she's like this." She continued, leading Alexis to the couch, "I want to set some things straight before you get right into this drill team stuff."

"Sure," Alexis replied, sitting down beside Reba.

"On nights when there is practice I want you to come home straight after practice unless you check with me first," Reba explained, "and on nights when there is no practice, the rules stay the same. Home right away unless you call, and home for supper unless you ask. You have to keep at least a B- in all your classes or you're done with the team. But don't worry if you get a lower mark, just let me know and we will see how we can improve it. I won't expect you to quit the team for that, ok?"

"Yeah," Alexis replied, "no problem."

"You know that I'm just saying this to make sure you know the rules… I don't worry that you'll cause any trouble. You're a good kid," Reba smiled.

Reba could see a few tears sparkling in Alexis' eyes.

"Thanks Reba," she said.

"You don't have to thank me sweetie," Reba replied, "you're the one who made the team."

"No," Alexis looked Reba in the eye, "I mean for everything. This is something that I've wanted my whole life… someone to love me," her voice was shaking.

"Its not hard to love you," Reba replied, taking Alexis' hand.

"Sometimes I get scared though," Alexis looked away.

"Of what?" Reba asked.

"What if my parents decide to take me back?" Alexis' voice was fast and trembling. "Even if they take me back, I know that I'll never get the love that I have here." She began to cry.

Reba pulled her into a hug.

"Don't worry about that right now," Reba tried to comfort her, patting her back. "We're just going to take all of this one day at a time."

Alexis pulled away from Reba's warm embrace, sniffed and wiped her eyes. She stood up from the couch.

"I'm tired," she announced, "I'm going to go upstairs."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Reba offered. It killed her to not be able to help "her" little girl.

"Sure," Alexis sniffed.

Reba led Alexis up the stairs and into her room. Reba lay down on her bed, propping herself up with pillows. She spread her arms wide, inviting Alexis to climb up. Alexis crawled onto the bed and Reba wrapped her arms around the thin girl's body. She grabbed a blanket and pulled it over Alexis. Alexis snuggled in close and shut her eyes. Within a minute she had drifted off to sleep.

Reba opened her eyes when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. Cheyanne came into the room.

"I've got the stuff from the grovery store that you needed," she called into the room.

"Shhhh," Reba whispered, motioning to Alexis, still asleep in her arms.


End file.
